On Behalf of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz, Prince Khalid Al-Faisal, Advisor to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques and Governor of Makkah Region, patronized on Wednesday the ceremony of the Ministry of Media on the occasion of 100 Hijri years of establishing Umm Al-Qura Newspaper.
The event was attended by several princes, ministers, as well as an elite of intellectual, literature and media figures.
Prince Khalid Al-Faisal and the attendees watched a documentary titled “a Century of Saudi Media” highlighting the march and development of Umm Al-Qura Newspaper over the ages.
Dr. Majid bin Abdullah Al-Qasabi, the Acting Minister of Media, delivered a speech in which he expressed his sincere thanks and great gratitude to King Salman for his generous patronage of the ceremony celebrating 100 years of establishing Umm Al-Qura Newspaper.
“We stand today before a 100-year history during which Umm Al-Qura Newspaper has witnessed the establishment and development journey of our dear homeland since the era of the founder King Abdulaziz until this prosperous era to confirm the depth of this country's connection to its press and its interest in the media,” Al-Qasabi said.
He affirmed that the ceremony celebrating 100 years of establishing Umm Al-Qura Newspaper is an important event and an occasion of appreciation, asserting that Umm Al-Qura Newspaper is a reliable reference for the march of this state.
“Today, the Kingdom is witnessing an unprecedented movement in all sectors, including the media,” said Al-Qasabi.
“Following more than five years after the launch of Vision 2030, there are great hopes for an influential media industry conveying the message of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the world. I will work with my colleagues in the media system to achieve this lofty goal,” the minister added.
“Emanating from the State's keenness, the Royal approval was issued to transfer Umm Al-Qura Newspaper to Saudi Press Agency (SPA) in order to witness a new stage and a major shift in all aspects of media work and digital transformation,” Al-Qasabi disclosed.
He announced five ambitious initiatives to advance and develop the media industry in the Kingdom, including establishing a Saudi Media National Archives Center to archive all photos and documents, establishing Saudi Media Museum to preserve and perpetuate the national journalistic heritage, holding Umm Al-Qura Media Forum every two years, launching a “Mediathon” in partnership with STC towards innovative future media ideas and launching the second phase of Support and Empowerment Program for the Saudi Press Institutions for Digital Transformation.
